Drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea are unacceptable, the foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Hungary, Velislava Petrova and Anita Orban, said in a joint appearance on BNT's morning show.
"Hungary stands firmly with Bulgaria over the attacks in the Black Sea," said Orban, who is Hungary's deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Petrova said the attacks go on both in Bulgarian waters and beyond them. Oil tankers have been hit near Romania. She said merchant ships have become a battlefield.
The aim is to stop strikes on all merchant ships, not only those carrying grain, the Bulgarian minister said. She said diplomacy must lead to a deal among all Black Sea states. The sea matters to all of Europe, not only to Bulgaria as a Black Sea country, she added.
Orban said Hungary backs safe shipping in the Black Sea and it must not be cut off. She said the sea is one of the most important routes to Europe, including from Central Asia. If supplies are disrupted, food could run short, she warned. Shipping and the supply of food and grain must therefore be guaranteed and protected, she said.
Much of the talk was about Russia's war on Ukraine, which Russia began with its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Both ministers called for more diplomacy.
Hungary and Bulgaria want a diplomatic solution, a quick end to the war and a just and lasting peace, Orban said. She said their positions are similar, as neither country backs sending weapons to Ukraine.
Petrova also said the two countries have more in common than not in how they see the war. She said both focus on diplomacy, not only on the military side. She called for more active diplomacy, with Europe taking part. Ukraine should get support when it shows progress, Petrova added.
Bulgaria has worked with its political partners on a clear political call for diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting, the minister said. More work lies ahead in the EU and NATO.
Petrova said the terms for ending the war should be agreed through diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia. Russia is the country that attacked Ukraine and began the full-scale war in February 2022. Europe, the US and other countries have a role in the process, but Ukraine and Russia will set the terms of peace, the minister said. "In the end, the two sides who will decide the terms of this peace are the two warring sides," she said. But Russia started the war when it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. If Europe does not take part in the talks, it will struggle to secure a good outcome, so it must be at the table.
Petrova said both countries have backed opening the next two clusters in talks with Ukraine. Orban said Hungary does not support fast-track entry for Ukraine into the EU, but entry based on what the country achieves. The ministers also discussed EU enlargement and Skopje's path to the bloc.
They also spoke about the protests in France. A peaceful protest there has turned into vandalism, which is unacceptable, Petrova said. She said societies in Europe are deeply divided, extreme political forces exploit this, and such division always does harm, not only in France. Change should come through elections, not vandalism, she said.
Orban said peaceful protesters must be told apart from vandals and looters. Hungary stands with France and hopes it will bring the situation under control, and people must be heard, the minister added. Orban said competitiveness is one of the most important issues for Europe because "people want growth, security and predictability", as well as a good social care system.
Relations between Hungary and Bulgaria are stable in politics, the economy and culture, Orban said.